All Things Considered In Phoenix - Three Hundred Nine

What is the American Dream.

Listening to NPR - which is probably the only media I soak up besides online sources and print - the famed words 'The American Dream' come up often in all sorts of ways, but mostly how it is so elusive. I think it may be so because it is elusive and probably none existent, at least not in the way most people thinks about it. The American Dream if it really existed was a short term phenomena limited to the post world war II era and ended starting the 1980's.  That is only 2 generations and really it seems only the baby boomers had it or a chance at it. 

Certainly it's attainable still. This is a great country for those who have the ways and means to meander the society, but most people can't and opportunities for a greater common good, for a better whole, a better country where the system is set up so those who want to have the chance is gone. It is up to our leader to create an atmosphere of opportunities for people to take with policies, tax rules etc. and that is not existent. Each group, and especially the groups with the influence are having their say and getting their way, namely corporation or the exceedingly rich. It is becoming a country for them, but it is also a shot in the foot, a perpetual spiral downwards.

The home you live in is not an investment.

I wrote an article on this about 3-4 years ago and lost a client because of it. He disagreed and did not want to work with me. That is fine. With some home values at 1990's levels how good of an investment were those homes. 10+ years is a lot to lose and almost impossible to make up. Now if you purchased investment properties for which someone else was paying, like a tenant, then that is another matter. So real estate can be a good investment and often is, but your home is not.

A home is like a car

If the home you live in does not get care and attention like a car it will deteriorate and go down in value, the value then will remain in the land.

If I come across as a little bit angry then you're right. I believe were in this all together, that the purpose of the government is to improve the living conditions and opportunities for all to have a chance to excel or at least live a decent life. I don't want hand outs or excessive entitlements, but laws and guidelines that are fair: that could mean fair taxes, accountability, investment in the future, not allowing deferred maintenance to take over the country like it has with crumbling a crumbling un-adoptable infrastructure and ability to change.